Top Ten Tuesday #14: Movie Wish List

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Top Ten Books I Want to Be Turned Into Movies

1. Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter. I have been waiting for this one forever. There was a movie deal, then it was bought out, then there wasn't and now there is again. I feel like I'm watching a soap opera. Honestly, these would be great as movies or as a tv show. Spy shenanigans, girl power, cute boys, mystery, drama, cute boys... This needs to happen.

2. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. I think this is one of those books that people who don't like to read young adult will love. It's raw and real and hard-hitting while also being sweet and romantic. Definitely has the potential to be a hit.

3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. Laini's writing is so cinematic that the movie writes itself. It would be absolutely stunning. I would love to see how a mixture of costuming, makeup, and effects would create the bodies of the monsters.

4. Just Like Fate by Cat Patrick & Suzanne Young. This will be on my top 10 of 2013 part 2. It was gorgeous. Like My Life Next Door, this is a book that has a lock on the contemporary teenager. I would love to see the dual timelines playing out on-screen.

5. Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer. Sooo cinematic. Fairy tale stories are quite en vogue these days, and this series is fantastic. Plus, there are so many unexpected (well, sometimes they're a little obvious, but they distract you from seeing the unexpected htings) twists with these stories that movie audiences would eat them up.

6. Mediator series by Meg Cabot. I have been wanting to see this movie for years. I think there's some talk of a tv show, which I suppose could work out. I just need to see Suze, Jesse, and Paul sometimes before I die. Is that too much to ask?

7. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. This is exactly the kind of smart, sassy, and witty novel that makes for a great movie. I can absolutely see the people behind Pitch Perfect (now working on PP2 and Ally Carter's Heist Society!!) turning this into a hit.

8. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. Alternate history + steampunk + fantastical creatures. This would be super cool as a movie. Peter Jackson and the fine folks at Weta Digital could use the amazing talents they showcased so well in the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit to knock this out of the park!

9. Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. GIVE IT TO ME NOW. I mean, seriously, who do I have to pay off to see this be a movie? The effects would be amazing, and if you can find the right actors, the chemistry between the characters would be absolutely palpable. Please, dear heaven, let this happen.

10. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare. So I'm one of the less-than-thrilled with City of Bones. Sorry if that bothers you. I just wish that filmmakers didn't feel the desire to change perfectly good source material. But I digress. TID would be a lovely movie trilogy. I would love to see the historical costuming and steampunk elements combined with the shadowhunter/demonic elements.

Top Ten Tuesday #13: Required Reading

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Top Ten Books I Wish Were Taught in School

Honestly, I find this subject kind of difficult. You wouldn't think that since I have very definite opinions about literature and whatnot, but as an English major, I'm glad for 90% of the books that I read. Those books are classic for a reason. So this will be...interesting. Some of these books probably already are taught in schools, but...whatever. This is the list I wish I had been able to read in high school and/or books I think would be paired well together.

1. Speechless by Hannah Harrington & Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. On the one hand, you have the physical assault of a gay boy who was publicly outed at a party and the decision of the girl who did said outing to stop talking as she attempts to gain control over her words. On the other, you have the sexual assault of a girl at a party and her decision to stop talking as she tries to deal with it. Similar premises, but very different stories. The compare/contrast essay writes itself!

2. Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. This book. Oh, my goodness, I could have had a field day writing papers about this book. From the study of product placement and just ALL the pop culture references in our daily lives to the pressures to be a cookie-cutter stereotype to raw portrayal of sexuality and identity (sometimes one with the other, sometimes without), Beauty Queens is just a really good book. It's fun and funny, but it's also deep. It's a huge satire of our culture, and I love it.

3. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. Spare me your groaning. I feel like Twilight has several uses in a classroom. 1. How a book can become astronomically popular. Have the students discuss what it is about a book that can draw millions of readers in in such a big way. 2. How a book can be so polarizing. There is no middle ground with Twilight. You are not allowed to be Team Edward and Team Jacob. This question was asked more than "boxers or briefs" in every single interview for about three years. You are not allowed to sorta like the books. You truly either love them or hate them. Have the students discuss the elements of the book that create such momentous division. Etc etc.

4. Matched by Ally Condie & The Giver by Lois Lowry. Dystopian was the big thing after vampires, but it's been done before. Out of all the new wave of those novels this century, the one that best matches with the tried-and-true Giver is Condie's Matched, with its government control of jobs, partners, children, recreation, etc. Again, the compare/contrast would be too easy. There are a lot of elements of this book that would lead to great learning.

5. The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale. This one is a must-read for girls. It's absurdly empowering, and it's all about educating yourself for the sake of education and improving your life. Yes yes YES! Boys may feel like this is just a "girly" book, but it's important for boys to understand that it's okay for girls to be smart.

6. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. I don't want this list to be full of books that preach and do the whole afternoon special thing, but kids truly need to be aware of consequences of certain actions. Thirteen Reasons Why gives a good lesson without being preachy and without being actually real. I mean, we've all seen the headlines. Those are horrifically real. Thirteen Reasons Why, while believable and amazing, is only fiction, but it's one of those that can hit too close to home.

7. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld. This book is just a lot of fun. I think it would be a good read for a creative writing class because it's just different. Tell the students it's okay to mess with historical events some. Books don't have to be 100% words, either. Drawings can enhance the experience. It's okay to combine different genres to make your own story come to life. But it's also important to know the craft before you do that. You have to know the correct history in order to alter it. Like that line about knowing the rules so you can break them, not breaking before you know.

8. Just One Day by Gayle Forman. This book is one every high school senior and college freshman should read. It's a book that dares to finally show the ugly parts of that weird transitional year in your life.

And...that's kind of all I can think of. I mean, there are others, but they all fall under topics I've already said and would be fairly redundant. What books would you have wanted to read in school? Have a Top Ten? Share in the comments!

Top Ten Tuesday #4: Most Intimidating Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme created by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week the girls at B&B think up a fun theme, and participating bloggers post their favorite 10 books in that category. This week's theme is

Most Intimidating Books

Most books don't really intimidate me because I've read a little of just about everything. That being said, I am somewhat hesitant to pick up the books on this list either because of sheer size or high expectations based on public reactions or whatever.

1. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Um, yeah. I call myself a book lover, but I've never read one of the best series of all time. I started Magician's Nephew and couldn't handle it. Should've started with Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, I know, but I wanted to start with the chronological beginning. And there's just so. much. hype!

2. Ender's Saga by Orson Scott Card. Another hyped series. Plus, it's fairly large, with several books, spinoffs, graphic novels, and novellas. I think I want to see the movie and then decide if I'll read it. At least the first one.

3. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. This is one of the first-ever young adult novels, and I've been "over" the classics since I left school. I dunno. I just don't appreciate them enough. I did like a musical Little Women I watched a few years ago. I definitely feel like if I were to read a classic, this would be a pretty good one.

4. House of Night series by PC & Kristin Cast. So I really enjoyed the first four books of the series, but by the fifth, I was kinda over them, and I didn't even pick up the sixth. I just didn't have enough patience to keep it up all the way through novellas and extras and DANG. TWELVE NOVELS. I think I may try to get back in once all twelve are out, but I don't know. It wasn't just the amount of reading to do; it was also the drama, which got stale. And Zoey just had too many people into her. I like my romance to be dramatic, but not that dramatic.

5. Inkworld series by Cornelia Funke. Like with House of Night, I emjoyed the first one, but I was cowed by sheer size. These novels are dense! Plus, I kind of like where Inkheart left off so I don't know if I really want to move on the others. We'll see. Maybe one day.

6. Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater. Same thing. Enjoyed the first book, but I just don't know if I'm interested enought to keep going. Plus, another series and author with so much hype! I may read her other books before going back to Grace & Sam.

7. The Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy by Carrie Hand. Hype. HYYYYPE. And I'm not into the whole zombie thing as the rest of the world so I dunno. I probably will pick this one up sometime. It's just that usually, there are a lot of other things that I want to read more. Sorry, Carrie Ryan!

8. Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld. Same. Exactly the same. Although I did read his Leviathan series, which was amazing so I know he's a great writer. Just a lot of high expectations. Probably will read someday. Just not yet.

9. Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr. Ditto to everything stated above. Hype. High expectations. Plus fairies. I'm not into them as most other supernatural/fantasy creatures.

10. The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson. Yeah, not exactly young adult, but whatever. My brother and brother-in-law swear by these. I just don't know if I want to make such a huuuuge committment. I mean, Jordan DIED while writing these and the fans were waiting for years for the end. I don't think I'm that committed. Same with George R. R. Martin's books, which are supposed to be freaking amazing.